On Friday night, several others and I went undercover to a crowded dinner hosted by the Bassetlaw Conservative Association and challenged Interior Minister Priti Patel over her inhumane “Rwanda plan” to treat refugees at sea. The newspapers called us “crowds,” but I know we were just standing for what was right.
Many things had come to this point. We at Green New Deal Rising, based in the United Kingdom, have been thinking for days about how to deliver our message. We bought tickets for the event, knowing that if we were outside, we might not be able to talk directly to Patel. On the way there, I felt nervous but determined. As we traveled together, we shared our stories of why we care and why we are willing to take action despite personal risk. This helped us stay focused and positive, even through our nerves. Dressing up for the role also helped, and we spent time transforming our slightly “youthful” hairstyles into something that won’t sound the alarm.
Once inside, we took our seats, spread out over many different tables in different groups. After Patel began to speak, our first contender stood up and turned directly to her. “Priti Patel, your racist policies are killing people. Your plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda are inhumane and will ruin people’s lives. Then it was my turn. Until that moment, the crowd was whistling and shouting at us, and the guards were trying to pull us away. But we continued the course, standing one by one to protest peacefully and explain why we were there and what we stood for.
I was asked if I was scared at that moment. It was definitely scary, but I also remember that just before I stood up, I imagined the faces of people I worked with who were migrants and refugees. These are the people at the real sharp end of these racist policies, and the least we can do is passionately and repeatedly oppose those in power who seek to persecute them and persecute them only for safety.
You may be thinking: if we are climate activists, why are we joining the refugee law? Everything is connected. On the one hand, the climate crisis will force many people to relocate. And many of the crises in the global south are the direct result of centuries of colonial exploitation by rich countries like the United Kingdom. We believe that it is the responsibility of our government to ensure the safety of the people facing these situations. The Rwanda Plan and the Nationality and Borders Bill must continue to be challenged and debated in parliament and in public. How we treat asylum seekers and how we treat the most vulnerable people in the world community speaks volumes about Britain. Why don’t we want to live in a country that supports people to rebuild their lives and live free from persecution and violence?
And let us be clear, Patel’s plans for Rwanda are violent, probably illegal and inhumane. They are condemned throughout society and will further harm those who seek safety. These are people who are escaping horrific situations as they bear the brunt of the many crises of war, poverty and climate catastrophe. The abuses that may accompany the expulsion of refugees, such as what happened in central Australia in Nauru, are widely documented. Sending people 4,000 miles away to be detained indefinitely is dangerous and cruel. By denying vulnerable people their right to safe haven in the United Kingdom and following a model that has led to an epidemic of self-harm and even suicide in treatment centers in Australia, we as a nation are abandoning our legal and moral obligations.
As the dust settles on our actions, I know we did the right thing. No matter what the consequences, history shows that if enough of us stand up and say “No more,” we can change things. We have already seen counselors and archbishops, teachers and the asylum seekers themselves condemn this government’s plans. The movement for compassion and hospitality is growing. These principles will win, not the heartlessness of this government.
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